3 days classical tour

Brief itinerary:

Day 1 Sana’a – Ibb – Jibla – Al Janad – Taizz (B) Depart from Sana’a to the south and visit the old towns of Ibb and Jibla. Later visit on of the oldest mosques in the world: Al Janad. Continue to Taizz (hotel).

Day 2 Taizz – Al Khokha – Zabid – Bayt Al Faqih – Hudaydah (B,L) After morning sightseeing of the Al-Ashrafiya mosque and Kairo castle, depart to Al Khokha, on the Red Sea coast. Continue to Zabid, one of the Yemeni jewels (Unesco) and take a lunch in a local guest house. Continue via Bayt Al-Faqih to Hudaydah, the modern port town (hotel).

Day 3 Hudaydah – Manakah – Al Hajarah – Al Khoteib – Sana’a (B,L) Visit the fish market in the morning and then drive via beautiful wadi Surdud to Manakah. Visit Al Hajarah village and then Al Khoteib, a center of Yemeni Ismailia. Take a lunch in a local pension. Return to Sana’a.

Detailed itinerary:

Day 1 Sana’a – Ibb – Jibla – Al Janad – Taizz (B)

Depart to the south of Sana’a and meet the green part of Yemen with fertile terraces. Ibb is a lovely town, an interesting labyrinth of the narrow streets where one needs to loose his way to feel all its charm, with one of the nicest small mosques Al-Jalaliya. And then the ancient capital of the Ismaili Queen Arwa, Jibla, where you’ll visit mosque with a tomb of Queen Arwa and enjoy the picturesque old town with Yemeni middle land architecture. After a spectacular descend, visit one of the oldest mosques in Yemen and the world: Al Janad mosque. Continue to the one of the biggest and most pleasant cities – Taizz, an evening there and shopping in the lovely suq (hotel).

Day 2 Taizz – Al Khokha – Zabid – Bayt Al-Faqih – Hudaydah (B,L)

In the morning, visit the Al-Ashrafiya mosque and the Kairo castle. Depart to Al Khokha on the shores of the Red Sea. Tihama, the hot plain along the Red Sea, meets you with an African atmosphere, with small, straw-covered huts made from palm trunks and unbelievable contrasts of desert and fertile wadis. Zabid, one of the Yemeni jewels (Unesco World Heritage list), an important early Islamic center of learning, where algebra likely has been invented, will give you an impression of the middle age. Take a lunch in a local guesthouse. Drive to the street market Bayt Al-Faqih and continue to Hudaydah, the modern port town (hotel).

Day 3 Hudaydah – Manakah – Al Hajarah – Al Khoteib – Sana’a (B,L)

Early morning visit of the Hudaydah’s traditional fish market where one can observe also the construction of Yemeni boats. Depart to Haraz Mountains via Bajil and the beautiful wadi with its desert rose trees. Manakah, the capital of Haraz, is an ancient market town full of narrow alleys, markets and attractive four-story houses. Visit Al Hajarah, an old fortified village and then Al Khoteib, a pilgrimage center of Yemeni Ismaili Shi’a sect. Enjoy in nice views over the impressive stone villages and the terraces with qat and coffee plantations. Take a traditional lunch and enjoy in presentation of traditional Bara’a dance with the locals in Manakah. Return to Sana’a.